Tube-handling apparatus.



No. 728,666- PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.. T. J. EBAY, JR. TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS.

.APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 12, 1902.

WI Hie N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 rl I QWITNESSES INVENTOR j. ,4. ma y aw No. 728,666. PATE'NTED MAYflQ; 1903.

' T. J. BRAY, JR.

TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOH jaggfwm No. 728,666. Patented May 19, 1903. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. BRAY, JR, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO UNITED ENGINEERING AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF PITTS- BURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TU BE-HANDLING A PPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,666, dated May 19, 1903. Application filed March 12, 1902. Serial No. 97,866- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: 14 between the two troughs. The arms 12 Be it known that I, THOMAS J. BRAY, Jr., have hooked or bent front ends 15 and are of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvaprovided .Withlong tail portions 16, which exnia, have invented a new and useful Tubetend over the nearer trough and rest upon 5 Handling Apparatus, of which the following the shaft 17, carrying the shorter arms 18 for is a full, clear, and exact description, referthe nearer trough. The receiving position of ence being had to the accompanying draw the arms 12 is shown in dotted lines, while ings, forming part'of this specification, in the other arms 18 areshown in full lines in whichreceiving position. Each of the shafts 13 and to Figure 1 is a top plan view showing myim- 17 is rocked by a lever-arm 19, having link proved transfer apparatus in connection with connection 20 with a rocking lever 21, having two sets of welding-rolls. Fig. 2 isa side elea loose connection with a cross-head 22, sevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged cured at the meeting ends of plungers 23, end elevation of the transfer mechanism. moving in motive cylinders 24. The valves l5 My invention relates to the transferring of for these cylinders may be of any desirable welded tubes or pipes to'the rollers leading form, enabling theoperator to control the to the sizing-rolls, and the returning of the movements of the lifter-arms. The liftersecond for reworking; and it is especially dearms 12 are staggered relatively to the arms signed for use in connection with a furnace l8 and both when in the inclined discharging 20 having two sets of welding-rolls. position allow the pipe to roll sidewise over The object of the invention is to provide an adjustable guides 25, loosely surrounding the improved transfer mechanism by which a shaft 17 and supported by adjustable braces welded tube may be transferred to the sizing- 26. From these .stationary inclines the tube rolls without interfering with the rod carryrolls over arms 27, secured to a rock-shaft 28,

25 ing the welding-ball for the other set of weldthese arms being staggered relatively to the ing-rolls, and, further, to provide means for support 25, their ends overlapping, as shown returning second runs by passing them bein Fig. 1. The arms 27 form part of the skids neath the transfer mechanism. and guide the tubes directly upon the skids,

In the drawings, 2 2 and 3 3 represent two down which they roll to the roller-table 10.

30 pairs of welding-rolls located side by side and The rock-shaft 28 may be rocked by leverstaggered relatively to each other in front of arm 29, having. link connection 30 with a lethe furnace-opening. In front of these weld- Ver-arm 31, mounted on rock-shaft 32, at ing-rolls I provide a transfer apparatus comwhose end is an arm 33, having link connecprisinga stationary framework having side tion '34 withra hand-lever 35. In case the 35 bars Mwithsuitabletransverse members5,'the tube being removed is defective the operator frame being carried upon adjustable end supthrough handle 35 rocks the shaft 28, and ports 6 6. This frame carries two troughs 7 7, thus swings down the arms 27, causing the each containing frictionally-driven rollers 8. pipe to drop upon inclined ways 36, which Each trough is provided at suitableintervals extend backwardly beneath the table, as

40 with transverse slots, the front end of each shown in Fig. 3.

succeeding trough-section being preferably The welding-ball for use in lap-welding is flared, as shown in Fig. 1. These transverse diagrammatically shown at 37, its rod resting slots receive lifter-arms,which raise and transupon the friction-rollers, the front end being for the pipes sidewise to inclined skids 9,1eadsupported by the usual swinging catches 38.

45 ing to roller-table 10, in alinement with the The tube is drawn over the ball by any suitsizing-rolls 11. The arrangement of the lifterable welding-roll apparatus commonly used, 5 arms is shown in Fig. 3. The arms 12 for the a pair of the welding-rolls for each trough be trough which is farther away from the skids ing indicated at 39. are keyed to a shaft 13,'mounted in bearings In using the apparatus the rod, with the ball or mandrel, is supported in each trough, and the tube is drawn out between the welding-rolls and over the ball. The ball is then removed from the end of the rod, the rod is pulled out by the friction-rolls 39, and one of the rock-shafts carrying the lifter-arms is then rocked 'by actuating suitable valves. The pipe is thus lifted from the trough and rolls over the lifter arms and stationary guides and, if properly welded, over arms 27 and skidways to the sizing-roll table. If defective, it is directed back beneath the table to be reworked.

The advantages ofmyinvention result from the transfer mechanism, which enables the operation to go on in either trough without interfering with that in the other. The lifterarms in the near trough must of course be depressed in receiving position when the tube is removed from the farther trough. The use of the backwardly-inclined skidways to direct the seconds beneath the table is of advantage and may be used with or'without the remainder of the mechanism. The arrangement of the parts is simple and compact, the movements are positive, the handling is reduced, and the mechanism is' specially advantageous when used with a plurality of welding-rolls.

Many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the receiving-troughs, lifter-arms, return-skids, &c., Without departing from my invention.

I claim- 1. In weldingapparatus,areceiving-trough, mechanism for raising the pipe from the trough, removing it laterally, and inclined return-ways leading back beneath the trough; substantially as described.

2. In welding apparatus,a receiving-trough,

lifter-arms arranged to lift the tube, and roll it laterally, swinging arms arranged to receive the rolling tube, inclined return-ways leading backwardly beneath the trough, and mechanism for tilting the receiving-arms to allow the pipe to drop on the return-ways; substan tially as described.

3. In welding apparatus, a plurality of receiving-troughs, swinging lifter-arms for each trough, one set of arms extending across one of the troughs and being staggered relatively to the other set; substantially as described.

4. In welding apparatus, a plurality of sets of welding-rolls, a plurality of recei'vingtroughs, skidways leading from the troughs to feed mechanism of the sizing-rolls at one side of the troughs, and lifter-arms arranged to lift and roll laterally a tube from any of the troughs to said feed mechanism; substantially as described.

5. In welding apparatus, a plurality of receiving troughs, swinging lifter arms arranged to lift and roll sidewise a tube from any trough, inclined skidways arranged to receive the tube, and drop-sections in the skidway arranged to deposit seconds; substantially as described.

6. In weldingapparatus, aplurality of pairs of welding-rolls, a plurality of troughs arranged to receive the tubes, lifter-arms for the troughs, the arms of one trough extending across those of another and being staggered relatively to them, supports leading from the troughs to the feed mechanism of the sizing-rolls, and drop-sections in the supports arranged to deposit seconds upon the turnways; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

T. J. BRAY, JR.

Witnesses:

L. M. REDMAN, GEO. B. BLEMING. 

